There is a similar technique in Japanese Kenjutsu where the foot slip takes your body off line while you brace your sword to your abdomen and allow the opponents momentum to impale himself on your point.
Some of the taller people in my club use the Mathewson slip a lot for even more reach. If you get your front leg behind the back leg and lean forward you gain even more reach for an attack to a deeper target or to the head. I am quite short, so I'd rather not use it like that but it works well for some.
Hi Nick, thanks a lot for the explanation! One question that came up in our training today: Roworth also describes "To an outside cut the slip is performed by drawing the right leg with the whole body backwards and sideways a small degree out of the line TOWARDS THE LEFT [...]". This baffled us a bit - do you use this version of the slip? If so, how pronounced would you do the rotation of the body? Would greatly appreciate your thoughts - until now with only used the slip of the foot you described here...
I have always thought that part was a little vague and not well described. I believe the intention of it is that you are able to lean out a little bit more from the cut coming at you. Because he describes a similar slip against a cut to the inside and outside. To the inside cut he steps back and to the right, squaring you up and allowing you to rest back on the right leg further away from the cut. Against the outside cut as you have asked about he does indeed say to move the right foot back and then to the left, and notice his mention of the whole body. So what I think he is saying here is a traverse step. So the right foot comes back to the left and then goes behind it. This is called a triangle step in some systems like Meyer for example, and is a common defensive step there. This again allows you to lean out away from the cut to your outside and gain more room. I think this is re-enforced by the opening to the section where he talks about slipping and if slipping the hand is not enough you do this. So you are stepping away from danger and in both cases arching your body away by using the right foot to support the lean.
Thank you for the thorough reply! Much appreciated. I will try this - but also realized on re-reading that he says at the end of the paragraph „I have mentioned this method… but not with the intention of recommending it“
Is the leg slip the only side movement Roworth mentions? I've heard his system also includes sidesteps and not just pure lunge/recovery approach but I've never done british sabre and couldn't find the answer on the internet :/
Nope, Roworth also includes traversing steps, with a diagram for them. He also describes how some people use them defensively. He says to use thse steps also for getting a better position in terms of ground and sun in the eyes, and describes some of their uses in various parts oft he manual. I should get on to this topic at some point in this series, but there is a loooong list.
The first edition says to do it with St. George's Guard, while later editions (at least the third and fourth, not sure about the second edition) instruct to slip with every parry.
tbh I think it has two benfits one it's safer two when you move into stance again or maybe even lunge for a counter you can move your whole body towards the oponent giving you the advantage in the cut.
I'm uncertain why roworth emphasizes slips of the leg so much with nearly every parry as opposed to earlier broadsword and later period sabre where this doesnt seem to be the case. Any thoughts?
Not during every action in every source, the amount varies from one to another source. The Taylor/Angelo 10 lessons are the most extreme example where they do indeed slip on every parry except when setting up timed hits. This was a principle developed to keep the user as safe as possible at all times. Removing the leg means the opponent cannot re-direct to it, or strike it on recovery. The extra distance from the opponent when defending also gives more time to react and results in taking less frequent and also less extreme hits. It also sets up timed hits. Look at the contemporary The disadvantage is that some ripostes can be slower. A contemporary to the above source, Mathewson, only slips on head and leg attacks. Move forward further into Victorian swordsmanship and you will only see the slip on leg cuts only, though there are images of Scottish troops still using the common leg slip. It;s a strong defensive strategy.
